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If you spend any amount of time doing activities you need a decent pair of handheld two-way radios.The pair that Motorola provided for us to review is top of the line, loaded with almost every feature you could want. The most obvious and in my opinion, the best overall feature is the weatherproof case.
Motorola claims these radios will float in water and will survive a dip in up to three feet of water. That feature alone is worth the higher than average cost ($99 MSRP). We have ruined a handful of radios after leaving them out in the yard during rainstorms. These units would manage that with ease.
The radios are larges than many but not unwieldy. They come with detachable belt clips, a loop to connect a lanyard, and a rather large, semi-flexible rubber antenna. A benefit to the large size is that they take AA vs AAA alkaline cells. This permits longer run time and less of a risk of depleting power in the middle of an activity. The combo pack provided for testing included rechargeable batteries and a desktop, drop in charger. I only tested with the included rechargeable and thus can’t comment on run time vs AA cells. We managed to get a full day of intermittent use from the pair while on an overnight camping trip. The units have separate HI and LO power push to talk buttons. In theory, using the LO PTT button should allow for longer run time. Again, we didn’t test the impact of this. Please remember that terrain, channel setting, and other factors will all impact overall run time.
The units are equipped with NOAA weather button to grab a fast local weather forecast. The display screen is backlight to view in low light and all there is an included LED flashlight. This small light is bright enough to see inside a dark tent or dig through a pack.
The supplied case is bright yellow and can be changed if accessory covers are purchased.
You can also use Motorola accessories such as microphones and chargers to enhance the functionality of the units.
While the cost is higher than other units on the market I believe these units are a strong value because they are weatherproof. You can take them outdoors and near the water with no worry of damage. Again, they even float so rafters and boaters can feel comfortable packing these.
WATERPROOF – SURVIVES WATER DUNKS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS
- Fishing, kayaking, swimming or simply heading for a great day of fun with family or friends near the water? The Motorola MS350 2-Way waterproof radio is a must-have to ensure you have a reliable means of communication under harsh weather conditions. Don’t worry about transmission failure when it makes contact with water. Its IP-67 standard withstands constant submersion of up to 1m for 30 minutes and repels the heaviest of rain droplets.
IT FLOATS – MAKES FOR EASY RECOVERY
- If your MS350 radio happens to fall into the water, don’t despair, the radio floats and is visible on the water surface. Once recovered, use your MS350 radio to keep talking and listening.
HEADSET CONNECTOR – USE WITH YOUR FAVORITE MOTOROLA AUDIO ACCESSORIES
- Hands-free devices provide you with many advantages, the main ones being discreet communication, sound enhancement in noisy environments, and the ability to multitask.
ERGONOMIC DESIGN – FUNCTIONAL BUT SLEEK
- Its hourglass shape fits snugly into the palms of your hands reducing fatigue and discomfort. The non-slip ridges, on its base housing, eliminate annoying hand slips.
REPEATER FUNCTION – IMPROVES YOUR COVERAGE BEYOND THE HORIZON
- Maximize your camping, sporting, or hunting experience by improving your radio transmission coverage when talking to family or group members who sometimes wander far beyond the line of sight. Thanks to the built-in repeater channels, the MS350 works well with a local repeater station to carry your signal further. Take advantage of this value-added feature by switching to GMRS channels 15R-22R, but don’t forget you’ll need a GMRS license and an accessible repeater station to take advantage of this unique feature.
NOAA WEATHER CHANNELS
- Want to keep in touch with changing weather conditions during your family camping adventure? No need to stop the fun — weather alerts will provide your group with warnings of incoming storms or dangerous conditions. And, by tuning in to one of 7 NOAA channels (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) on your MS350, you will always know what to pack with continuous local and regional weather broadcasting.
i would love to take them camping or boating.
they would be great for camping
I want the walkies so I can play with my son with them
i’d love to win these for my cousin and his dad to use
id like to win in for my husband
I would like to win these because we live outside of town around of Christmas tree farms, so my son goes riding his motorbike on trails and these would be nice for him to keep in touch with me at home 🙂
I would like to win these for my dad so we can communicate with him when he’s out working on the lawn. He doesn’t always know when to come in and these would allow us to tell him when it’s time to get off the toys (tractor) and to come inside.
my husband could use these for work. these are very awesome !
I would love this for my step daughter. We live in a trailer park and she is a little young for a cell phone yet. This would be nice for her to have for when she walks up to her friends house, i would still be able to get a hold of her and make sure she is ok
i want to win these for my 2 kids !!!
It would be easy to keep in touch with Scott 🙂 *Thanks* for the giveaway!
i would like them for my husband when he is hunting.
I would like to win this for my hubby and son who go camping alot – – – Paul T/Pauline T aka Paul Tran….. emscout9 at Hotmail dot com
I think my 8 year old would love to share a set of these with his best friend a few blocks away!
I’d love to win these for my daughter.
they would make a great gift for my grandson
I’d like to win these for my husband.
We love to go camping and horse back riding and 4 wheeling on weekends in the area rec parks. We have serveral within a 5 hour radius. We go our own ways and meet friends and these would be fantastic to use!
I would love to win these for my son.
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
callawishes(at)hotmail(dot)com
Tell me why you would like to win these walkies. Or who you would like to win them for.
i want to snoop on people
I’d love to use these with my 3 year old son! He’d love to use them while he plays in the backyard so I can keep an extra eye on him!
We live in the country and these would be perfect when the kids are playing in the woods on their adventures!
i would like to win them for my kids cause we always go on nature walks and i could know where they were at all times 🙂
marci h
tristatecruisers at yahoo dot com
I’d love to win these for my dad, he’s always mentioned how he would love to have a pair for traveling. Would make his day! 🙂
These would be great for my nephews.
my son hed love these id could talk to him outside
I would like to win them for my son.
I would like to win for my grandson
I’d love to win these radios for my husband — he’s a Land Surveyor!
Terri P
pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com
I’d like to win them for a friend who stages alot of events and could really use these to keep track of the team.
I would win these for my uncle!
I would love to have these so that I can leave on with a friend near by so that I can have an added measure of safety since this Two-way radio is water proof this would add a measure of safety in case I fell in the tub. I have a cell phone but I keep it as far away from the water as possible. This could be placed on the edge of the tub with out fear.
Would like to have these for when we go hiking
I’d love to win them for my hubby.
I’d like to win these for my son.
I would like to win these radios for when we go to amusement parks so we can stay in touch with each other
I want to win these for my husband.
I would like to win these for my daughter.
I’d like to win these so we can carry them around when we’re shopping and I can find those I’m with if we get separated. (I don’t have a cell phone.)
I would like them for backing my boat up
I would like to win them for my nephew and his daughter!
my nephew would love them!
These would make a great Christmas gift for a hunter I know.
It would be easier than yelling upstairs. lol
I would love to win them for my nephew, he would have a blast with them!